Pneumatic control means for offset pivoted hopper car doors



E. O. LUNDE PNEUMATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR OFFSET PIVOTED HOPPER CAR DOORS Filed July 2'7, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l liliilw w mm I I I l l p i I INVENTOR ATTORNEY E. O. LUNDE March 8, 1960 PNEUMATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR OFFSET PIVOTED HOPPER CAR DOORS Filed July 27, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. idjzzizde,

A TTO/P/VEY 2,927,541 PNEUMATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR OFFSET PIVOTED HOPPER CAR DOORS Filed July 27, 1954 E. O. LUNDE March 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 8, 1960 LUNDE 2,927,541

PNEUMATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR OFFSET PIVOTED HOPPER CAR DOORS Filed July 27, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN'TOR Z 0. ZZZ/7076.

ATTORNEY PNEUMATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR OFFSET PIVOTED HOPPER CAR DOORS Einar 0. Lunde, Wyckoif, N.J., assignor to Magor Car Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1954, Serial No. 446,115 1 Claim. (Cl. 105-240) This invention relates to pneumatic control means for offset pivoted hopper car doors.

The invention is more particularly concerned with valve controlled pneumatic operating means for effecting opening and closing movements of clam-shell type doors for bottom discharge cars and which doors provide the bottoms of the cars.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a car whose opposite side walls converge toward the bottom of the car in the provision of laterally restricted discharge openings which are normally closed by load supporting doors pivotally supported by the car body for lateral swinging movements and pneumatic control means for the doors.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide in operative association with a car body having a bottom discharge opening, a door pivotally connected to the car body on an axis above the opening for lateral swinging of the door, and pneumatic control means for the door comprising a rotatable shaft disposed adjacent a side of the car and extending longitudinally thereof, linkage connections between the shaft and the door, and pneumatic means for rotating the shaft.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a car having a bottom discharge opening, a laterally :swingable door normally closing said opening and directly supporting a load in the car, pneumatically controlled means for swinging the door to and from closed position, the door having a pivotal connection with the car so disposed that the load tends to open same, and said control means embodying structure to positively prevent inadvertent opening of the door under weight of the car load.

tats atent Other objects and advantages of the invention will heicome apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan view disclosing the general arrangement of the pneumatic control means for operating the doors.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of an operating cylinder control valve embodied in the inven- :tion.

.Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevational view of the valve shown in Fig. 2 as observed in the direction of :arrow 3. i

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view as observed in the plane of line 4-4 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental transverse sectional view of the lower portion of a car showing the operative connections between one of the operating cylinders and one of the doors, the car in transverse section being symmetrical to the vertical center line C.L., Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental view partly in longitudinal vertical section and partly in elevation showing the operating structure of Fig. 5.

Before proceeding with the detailed description of the ptruct'ure, it is to be observed that the pneumatic control ice means illustrated in Figs. Ito 4 corresponds to that disa closed in my co-pending application SerQNo. 383,200, filed September 30, 1953, now Patent Number 2,893,327, granted July 7, 1959, and while being essential in the operation of the door, are not claimed herein.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1 thereof, the control arrangement is shown for simultaneous operation of a group of cars. In said Figure, 10 designates an air reservoir into one end of which is connected an air supply conduit 11 which is in turn connected to the train air brake line.

The conduit 11 is provided with a governor valve 12 which operates to preclude flow of any air from the brake line until the required braking pressure has been established in the train brake line. The conduit 11 is prefererably further provided with a cut-out cock 13 which is provided with an air vent.

It is, however, to be observed that the supplying of air from the train brake line is only a matter of choice since air may be admitted to the reservoir 10 by means wholly independent of the train brake system.

An operating cylinder 14 is provided with a piston 15 whose stem 16 extends through one end of the cylinder and which stem is provided with an aperture 17 adjacent its outer end for a purpose later to appear.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the piston is at the lower end of the cylinder 14 and in which position the car doors are held in closed position. In this position of the piston, air pressure from the reservoir 10 is admitted to the top of the cylinder thereby holding the piston in its door closing position.

Air is admitted to the upper end of the operating cylinder 14 from the reservoir 10 through conduit 18, conduit 19 having one end thereof in communication with an operating cylinder control valve 20 and a conduit 21 whose opposite ends are in communication with said control valve and the upper end of cylinder 14.

At the same time, reservoir air flows into the upper connection 22 of an automatic valve 22 through conduits 18 and 19, the opposite end of the latter being in communication with the said upper connection 22*. Also at the same time, reservoir air flows into the inlet connection 23 of a dump valve 24 through conduit 18 and a conduit 25. 7

At this'time air is exhausted from the lower end of the operating cylinder 14 through conduit 26 and con nection 22 to atmosphere through the automatic valve 22, as indicated in Fig. 12 of the said co-pending application. The automatic valve 22 is otherwise generally of the same construction as disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 103,476, filed July 7, 1949, now Patent No. 2,699,126, granted January 11, 1955. The dump valve structure 24 is disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 353,833, filed Number 2,859,774, granted November 11, 1958.

Under the above conditions, there is no air pressure in the operating line 27 or in any of the branch lines connected thereto and under which conditions, the dump valve operating handle 28 will be in the horizontal position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 with both the inlet and exhaust valves of the dump valve seated.

In addition to the holding action of the piston 15, the car door linkage is locked in the closed position by means later referred to.

Preparatory to the opening of the doors 54 shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and wherein a door is shown in dotted lines in open position in Fig. 5, the dump valve handle 28 is placed in the upper position 28. This opens the inlet valve of the dump valve structure 24 and permits reservoir air to flow into the operating line 27 on all of the cars and thereby energize the lower portion of the automatic valve 22 on each car. U

May 8, 1953, now Patent The automatic valve then functions to close off the exhaust connection and permit reservoir air to flow through the conduit 26 to the lower chamber 30 of the control valve 20 (shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4).

The action of the operating control valve will then exhaust the air from the top of the operating cylinder 14-. Air pressure in the bottom of the cylinder 14 will forcethe piston 15 upwardly and thereby actuate the car door linkage (shown in Figs. and 6).

In order to close the doors 54, the dump valve handle 28 is placed in the lower position 28 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I. With this position of the handle 28, the inlet valve of the dump valve structure 24 is closed and the exhaust valve is opened, thereby exhausting air from the operating line 27 and all of its branches. I Under these conditions, the flow of reservoir air through the automatic valve is cut off. At the same time, air in the bottom of the operating cylinder '14 and in the lower chamber 30 of the control valve 28) is exhausted through the automatic valve 22 to atmosphere. This also closes the exhaust port in the operating control valve and permits air to how through this valve, and conduit 21 and then into the top end of cylinder 14 with a resulting action'of the doors being closed.

After exhausting the air from the operating line 27 the dump valve handle 28 is placed in the solid line horizontal position in which both inlet and exhaust valves are seated. The operating handle 28 should remain in this position until the car doors are to be operated.

The foregoing disclosure applies to a condition wherein a train of cars are arranged for multiple operation. With the present arrangement, however, it is also possible to operate the doors of any one car individually if so desired. However, in cases where the cars are always operated individually, the dump valve 24 may be replaced by the operating valve 29 (disclosed in my Patent No. 2,588,133) with a corresponding omission of the operating line 27. With this arrangement, the settings on the handle 28' of the operating valve 29 will correspond to the above described settings of the handle 28 of the dump valve 24.

The. operating cylinder control valve 20 above referred to and shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, have the parts thereof shown in the positions obtaining when the piston 15 is in the door-closed position, as indicated by solid-lines in Fig. 5. In this setting of the control valve, air has been exhausted from the above referred to lower chamber 39 and reservoir air is admitted through conduit 19 into the chamber 32. This forces the piston 33 down and causes the .pop valve 34 to seat on the gasket 35. The air in chamber 36 then exhausts to atmosphere through outlet 37 and the air in chamber 32 will flow through conduit 21 to'the operating cylinder 14, as indicated in Fig. 1.

When reservoir air is admitted to the chamber 30 through branch conduit 38 (Fig. l) the over-balance condition in the valve 20 will cause the piston 33 -to rise and the piston face will seat at 39. This will confine the air pressure from conduit 19 to the annular chamber 40 and the air from conduit 21 will flow upward past the pop valve 34 into the chamber 36 and exhaust to atmosphere through outlet 37 o It will be noted from Fig. 1 that under this last condition, the pressure in chamber 30 of the control valve 2i) also communicates with the lower end of the operating cylinder 14. o 7

The control valve as shown in Fig. 2, preferably comprises a casing including a lower section 41, an upper section 42, and an intermediate section 43 which are connected 'by bolts 44 and. intervening gaskets 45, and the sections 43 and 41 are provided with tappedopenings 46, 47'ahd '48 for reception of the ends of conduits 19, 21 and'38'r'espective'ly.

Air pressure seals '49 are preferably provided at the points indicated in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Figs. '5 and 6, thecarSO fragmentally shown, comprises a frame 51 and the carbody-whichis supported by the frame includes downwardly converging opposite side walls 52 providing a transversely restricted load discharge opening 53.

One of the doors 54 is shown in transverse section in Fig. 5 and a co-operating laterally opposed door 54 is shown fragmentally and wherein it will be seen that the doors have contacting flanges 55 which are in the closed position of the doors disposed in. the central longitudinal vertical plane of the car.

The doors 54 provide the car bottom and in the closed position thereof close the opening 53.

The car is preferably provided with four doors, or two transversely disposed pairs thereof, but the invention is not dependent upon any particular number of doors.

Each door 54 is provided with an arm 56 at each end thereof and which arms are pivotally connected by and depend from pins 57 which are carried by suitable brackets 58 depending from the car frame 51. The arms 56 are secured to the door plate .59 as is indicated at 60 in Fig. 6.

The arms 56 are each provided with a pivot pin 61 for a purpose later to appear.

Secured to and depending from each of the side spans of the frame 51 are bearing brackets 62, 62' in which are rotatably supported a door operating shaft 63.

At this point it is to be observed that the bearing brackets 62 are disposed in laterally opposed relation substantially in the transverse vertical plane of the car 50 and that each bearing bracket 62 is disposed intermediate two end bearing brackets 62 and the shaft 63 extends through the central bracket 62' and the opposite end brackets 62.

This condition, of course, prevails in the use of four doors, but two brackets at each side of the car are sufficient in the event of the use of only two doors.

Fixed to shaft 63 adjacent each bracket 62, 62 is an arm 64 and such arms are pivotally connected to pins 61 through a two piece rod 65 having a turnbuckle 66 incorporated therein for relative adjustment of the pivotal connections of rod 65 with the pin 61 and arm 64.

Upon rotation of shaft 63, as shown in Fig. 5, in a counter-clockwise direction the arm 64 will be rotated from a substantially horizontal position when door 54 is closed to a substantially vertical position, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines when the door 54 is open, as is also shown fragmentally in broken lines in Fig. 5. The door will, of course, be closed upon clockwise rotation of shaft 63 and a movement of arm 64 from the dot-anddash position to the solid line and dotted line position.

An operating cylinder 14 is disposed at each side of the car and substantially in the transverse vertical plane thereof and in the use of four doors each cylinder 'is disposed substantially in the middle of shaft 63.

Each shaft 63 is provided with an operating arm 67 whose inner end is fixed to the shaft and whose outer end is pivotally connected to the stem 16 of the operat ing cylinder 14 as is indicated at 68.

In the operation of cylinder 14 the operating arm 67 moves from the solid line position to the dot-and-dash position and vice versa and in order to provide for arcuate movement of the pivoted end of stem 16, the cylinder 14 is pivoted on a horizontal fulcrum, as indicated at 69.

When the car doors 54- are in closed load supporting position, the piston 15 in the operating cylinder 141's 'at the lower end.there0f and is held in this position by air pressure on the upper face of the piston.

The doors 54 are opened in the following :manner. The air pressure is exhausted from the upper .end of the cylinder .14 .and admitted to the lower end'thereof. "This forces the piston '15 upwardly with a corresponding upward movement of the stem 16 which causes upward movement of the arm 67 from the-position C to the position C and'a consequent counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft--63 causes upward movement of arms 64 from the position A to the position A and the rods 65 rotate the arms 56 in a clockwise direction with a consequent opening of the door 54 to the dot-and-dash line position in Fig. 5.

As indicated in Fig. 5, door opening movement of arms 64 and 67 is in the direction of the arrow X while in door closing movement, the arms rotate in the direction of the arrow Y.

It is to be observed that the pins 57 are located to the left of the center of gravity of the load on the door and accordingly the load tends to rotate the door to the left or outwardly. While the pins 61 are shown with their centers in the vertical plane of the centers of pins 57, it is to be understood that the pins 61 may be located at any convenient point on the arms 56.

In order to resist inadvertent opening of the door under weight of the load thereon, the linkage 65, 66 is so disposed that when the door is closed, the linkage center line W-W (Fig. 5) will extend below the center line of the shaft 63. Under this condition any tendency to open the door will cause arms 64 to rotate in the direction of the arrow Y. This rotation, however, is resisted by an extension 70 on the arms which engages a stop 71.

In addition to the above described locking feature,

the doors are held closed by the air pressure in the upper part of the cylinder 14.

Furthermore the operating arms 67 are so disposed relative to the doors 54 so that in case of loss of air pressure, the doors may be manually opened by jacking up the arms.

An important feature of the present invention is that the doors in open position do not encroach upon required transit clearances, as is obvious from the relative position of a wheel W indicated fragmentally in Fig. 5. Such condition provides for safe transportation of the cars with open doors due to faulty air pressure to a convenient point of repair.

Having set forth my invention in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof, what I claim and desire to secure by US. Letters Patent is:

In a railway dump car, a wheel supported horizontal frame, a car body supported by the frame and including opposed downwardly converging side walls whose lower free edges are disposed below said frame and define opposite sides of a lading discharge opening therebetween, a pair of brackets rigidly supported by the frame in spaced relation longitudinally of the frame and depending therefrom adjacent each side of said body inwardly of the side Walls thereof, an arm of substantially triangular form being pivoted adjacent an apex thereof to each of said brackets, a pair of cooperating doors for controlling the discharge of lading through said opening, each of said doors being rigidly connected to the lower edges of a pair of said arms, which edges are disposed below the pivotal connections thereof and are horizontally disposed in the closed positions of the doors, a pivot pin projecting from each of said arms with those of each pair of arms axially aligned and being disposed longitudinally of said body, the axis of said pivot pins being in vertical alignment with the pivotal connection of the arms when the doors are in closed position, a pair of bearing brackets depending from the frame at each side thereof and disposed laterally outwardly of said first brackets, a longitudinally extending shaft rotatably supported in each pair of said last named brackets and extending longitudinally of the frame, an arm fixed to each of said shafts and projecting radially thereof and inwardly of the frame, an adjustable connection between each pair of said pivot pins and said radial arm, said adjustable connection comprising a turnbuckle having theopposite ends thereof pivoted to said radial arm and said pivot pins on axes parallel with the axis of the adjacent shaft, an operating arm secured to each of said shafts and projecting radially thereof in angular relation to said radial arm, a pneumatic operating cylinder pivotally supported by the frame adjacent each side thereof and on an axis parallel to the axis of the adjacent shaft, a piston rod projecting from each of said cylinders and having the free end thereof pivotally connected to a respective operating arm, said operating arms being disposed for rotation laterally outwardly of said frame in the opening of the doors, and the axes of the pivotal connections between said turnbuckles and said radial arms and said triangular arm pivot pins being in planes disposed below said longitudinally extending shafts in the closed positions of the doors whereby a load on said doors tends to rotate said operating arms in an opposite direction, and cooperating means on said frame and said first named arms for resisting such operation of the operating arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain of 1903 

